1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to electrical generating apparatuses. More particularly, the invention relates to an electrical generator apparatus that is designed to capture the otherwise wasted kinetic energy of moving vehicles travelling on a roadway, thereby resulting in the more efficient use of energy resources. The present invention materially contributes to the efficient utilization and conservation of petroleum-based energy resources by making better use of the energy consumed by vehicles.
2. Background and Related Art
In recent years, there has been a worldwide focus on the more efficient utilization and conservation of energy resources. Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, take thousands of years to form naturally, and thus, cannot be replaced nearly as fast as they are being consumed. It is well known that gas-driven automobiles are one of the largest consumers of oil in the world. While automotive manufacturers are actively developing technologies that are designed to increase the fuel efficiency of their vehicles (e.g., hybrid gas-electric vehicles), these technologies typically overlook one important source of additional energy, namely the energy that can be produced by the interaction between the vehicles and the roadway on which they travel.
In the major countries throughout the world, including the United States, the automobile is the primary means of transportation. The automobiles in these countries travel along a network of roadways so that their occupants can be transported from one location to another. These roadways, particularly those disposed in and around large cities, carry a relatively steady stream of traffic during a significant portion of each day. Because the vehicles travel along these roadways at considerable speeds, they possess a great deal of potential energy that can be converted into kinetic energy for producing useful work. For example, the energy produced by the kinetic energy of moving vehicles advantageously could be used for powering roadway lighting systems, toll booths, and rest stops along an interstate highway. Unfortunately, in the past, this vast source of free, sustainable energy from moving vehicles has rarely been utilized.
While others have designed different systems for extracting kinetic energy from moving vehicles, the related art devices have numerous limitations and drawbacks. It is highly probable that the underutilization of the unused kinetic energy of moving vehicles can be attributed to the limitations present in the related art. For example, some of these traffic-actuated systems employ complex fluid-based systems that are expensive and difficult to implement. In addition, these fluid-based systems are not easy to maintain once they are installed within the roadway. Other traffic-actuated systems of the related art employ elements that substantially deviate from the general contour of the roadway, and thus, disturb the natural flow of traffic by creating significant vehicle vibrations, as well as potentially creating a great deal of unrest when motorists pass thereover. Some of these related art systems use geometric shapes that resemble speed bumps. While such systems could be utilized in areas where only low speeds are generally encountered, such as parking lots, it is obvious that these systems would be unsuitable for any roadways on which vehicles are travelling at a high rate of speed, such as a freeway or highway, where the potential for harvesting energy produced by moving vehicles is the greatest. Still other traffic-actuated systems taught by the related art utilize an arrangement of components that are readily susceptible to fatigue failure. Some of these related art systems use a plurality of meshed gears to harvest the kinetic energy imparted on the roadway by the moving vehicle. Because these gears will be subjected to millions of cycles in a region of high traffic, the gear teeth disposed on the outer surface thereof will likely undergo failure.
Thus, there is a great need for an electrical generator apparatus, which is particularly for use on a vehicle roadway, that utilizes a simple and easily serviceable arrangement of components, readily integrates into a typical roadway without substantially disrupting the general contour thereof, and employs a plurality of components that are less susceptible to fatigue failure.